Piano-pliers.



' No. 805,651. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

0. H. LANG.

PIANO PLIERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14.1905.

Witt buses .L

PATENT OFFICE.

CARL H. LANG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

lPlANO-PLIERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed April 14, 1905. Serial No. 255,691.

To all whom, it may concrn:

Be it known that I, CARL H. LANG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Pliers, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a tool of the pliers type for remedying the sticking of pianoforte-keys without marring the same, said tool having a jaw mounted so as to adapt itself to the slant of the key-lever without concentrating the pressure at one edge or corner and indenting the same, as is the case with pliers provided with rigid jaws.

The invention consists, essentially, of a jaw of novel formation and a peculiar joint between it and the plier member to admit of the jaw readily adapting itself to the inclination or slant of the piano key-lever when pinching or compressing the felt, so as to obviate sticking and insure responsive action of the keys, such as is necessary in trilling or rapid playing.

The invention consists of the novel features, structural details, and combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth and as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isaside view of a piano keypliers embodying the invention. Figs. 2 show clifferent positions of the movable jaw, said views being taken on the linewxof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the jaw member of the pliers having the rounded end and the oppositely-flared opening. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the supplemental jaw. Fig. 5 is a side view of the end portion of the member receiving the supplemental jaw, showing the parts on a larger scale and the movement of the supplemental jaw by dotted lines.

The tool comprises members 1 and 2, pivotally connected near one end in any determinate manner and extended beyond the pivotal point, so as to provide cooperating plierjaws. One of the jaws, as 3, is of usual construction and rigid, whereas the other jaw 4 is of a peculiar formation, terminating in an enlargement, in which is formed a transverse opening 5 of rounded form at a central point and flared toward opposite ends from said central point and elongated about at a right angle to the length of the jaw. The inner face of the jaw, as well as its opposite sides,

is made rounded for a purpose presently to be explained.

A supplemental jaw 6 is fitted to the jaw 4: and is provided with spaced lugs 7 to embrace opposite sides of said jaw, said lugs being transversely apertured to receive a pin 8, by means of which the jaw 6 is positively con nected to the jaw 4. The relative arrangement of the lugs 7 and supporting portion of the jaw 4 is such as to admit of the supplemental jaw 6 having a limited play upon the jaw 4:, so as to readily adapt itself to the slant or inclination of the key-lever to be operated upon. The inner face of the jawi is slightly curved 'to admit of the supplemental jaw 6 having a limited longitudinal as well as lateral tilting movement.

The sticking of the keys of musical instruments of the pianoforte type is generally attributable to the swelling of the felt in the openings of the pin-guides, due chiefly to dampness. This evil is generally remedied by pinching or compressing the felt and is usually accomplished by means of a tool of the pliers type. A tool constructed in accordance with this invention as herein disclosed will admit of uniform compression of the felt and the self-adaptation of the jaw in contact with the key-lever to the slant or inclination, thereby preventing marring of the key or any possible injury thereto, which would be liable to arise from applying the pressure to an edge or corner of the plierjaw, as would be the case if the tool were provided with rigid jaws in the accustomed manner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A tool of the pliers type having a main jaw longitudinally and transversely curved, a supplemental jaw mounted on said main jaw and adapted to rock thereon both longitudinally and transversely, and positive connecting means between the main and supplemental jaws.

2. A tool of the pliers type having a main jaw, a supplemental jaw mounted upon the main jaw and adapted to receive both a longitudinal and a transverse rocking movement and having spaced lugs embracing said main jaw, and positive interlocking means between said spaced lugs and the main jaw for holding the supplemental jaw in place.

3. Atool of the pliers type provided with having a limited play to automatically adapt a jaw having an opening oppositely flared itself to the nature of the work. I from a central point, a supplemental jaw pro- In testimony whereof I affix inysignaturein vided with spaced lugs embracing opposite presence of two witnesses.

sides of the pliers-jaw, and a pin passing CARL H. LANG. [L. s] through corresponding openings of the pliers- Witnesses:

jaw and spaced lugs to positively hold the GEORGINA BAXTER,

supplemental jaw in place and admit of its MARK A. Foo'rE. 

